Amy Kohlmeier plays with her two pit bulls, Henrietta, 1, jumping at center, and Frannie, 4, as her golden retriever Kleara, 9, left, watches at her Webster home Wednesday.

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The debate over whether pit bulls are a lovably loyal family companion or a dangerously unpredictable threat to their loved ones and the community has been waged for decades.

Local animal experts and pit bull rescue groups have long tried to clear the breed's reputation as vicious animals, but found a reluctant community audience bombarded with headlines - just this year alone - of the breed attacking small children, protecting illegal drug activity, being shot by police officers and becoming the victims of abuse by owners who beat them with crowbars, drowned ...